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Braves GM Anthopoulos says he has no list of candidates as he begins search to replace Snitker

ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Saturday he hopes to move quickly as he begins his search for a successor to Brian Snitker as manager but that he has not conducted any interviews.

Snitker, 69, announced Wednesday he won’t return after 10 seasons as the Braves’ manager.

Even though Snitker’s decision wasn’t a surprise, Anthopoulos insisted he wasn’t going to begin compiling a list of candidates before giving the manager time to finalize his plans.

When asked what the Braves would have done if Snitker wanted to return for the 2026 season, Anthopoulos said: “He would have been back. That’s why we were going to wait and give him the time he needed.”

Former Braves catcher and Chicago Cubs skipper David Ross told The Associated Press on Thursday he wants to manage again. Ross said an opportunity to manage the Braves “would be amazing.”

Anthopoulos insisted “we do not currently have a list” and said “I wanted to get some things done internally” before beginning his search.

“I will now turn my attention to the manager,” Anthopoulos said. “... We have not spoken with anybody.”

Snitker led the Braves to the 2021 World Series championship as the highlight of almost a half-century with the organization. He will remain in an advisory role and will be inducted into the team’s hall of fame next season.

Anthopoulos said he and Snitker have an agreement on a five-year term as senior adviser but added that could change.

Two coaches on Snitker’s staff have experience as a manager. Bench coach Walt Weiss is Colorado’s former manager. Third base coach Fredi González is a former manager with Atlanta and the Marlins.

There has been speculation that other possible candidates are former Braves infielder Mark DeRosa and Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty. Former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker was named the Texas Rangers’ skipper on Friday night.

“Before Skip Schumaker was named, there were eight openings,” Anthopoulos said. “That’s a lot of openings. ... That makes it incredibly challenging.”

Anthopoulos said his timeline to make a hire could be impacted if he focuses on a candidate who is also of interest to another team.

“Of course as soon as possible with so many openings,” Anthopoulos said when asked how soon he hopes to make a hire. “You can’t just rush it or force it. ... You’d love to be able to do it sooner than later.”

Snitker posted a record of 811-688 as manager. He ranks third in franchise history in wins, trailing Bobby Cox (2,149) and Frank Selee (1,004). He led the Braves to seven postseasons, including six NL East titles.

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Max Scherzer, Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt left off Blue Jays’ ALDS roster against Yankees

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was left off the Toronto Blue Jays’ roster for their AL Division Series against the New York Yankees along with injured shortstop Bo Bichette and right-hander Chris Bassitt.

Scherzer was 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his last six starts, including a Sept. 7 loss to the Yankees as New York took advantage of the 41-year-old right-hander tipping pitches with his changeup.

An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer was 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts after agreeing to a one-year, $15.5 million contract. He didn’t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

He has a 221-117 record with a 3.22 ERA, winning World Series titles with Washington in 2019 and Texas in 2023. Scherzer is 7-8 with a 3.78 ERA in 30 postseason games.

Bichette, second in the major leagues to the Yankees’ Aaron Judge with a .311 batting average, hasn’t played since Sept. 6, when he sprained his left knee in a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells. Bassitt, who was 11-9 and led the Blue Jays in wins, hasn’t pitched since Sept. 18 because of lower back inflammation.

Toronto included 13 pitchers, but only Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage, a 22-year-old right-hander who debuted Sept. 15, finished the season in the rotation. Toronto chose four left-handers against lefty-heavy New York: Justin Bruihl, Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer and Brendon Little.

New York added right-hander Luis Gil, who was set to start Saturday’s opener and dropped right-handed relief Mark Leiter Jr., who was active for the Wild Card Series against Boston but didn’t pitch.

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers added three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and left-hander Anthony Banda to the roster for their NL Division Series against Philadelphia while dropping right-hander Edgardo Henriquez.

Kershaw, a 37-year-old, is slated to pitch in relief. The 11-time All-Star says he will retire after the postseason.

Infielder Otto Kemp and outfielder Weston Wilson were on the Phillies’ roster and right-handers Jordan Romano and Lou Trivino were left off.

Right-hander Ben Brown was added to the Chicago Cubs’ roster against the Milwaukee Brewers and left-hander reliever Taylor Rogers was dropped. Rogers pitched a hitless inning in the Wild Card Series against San Diego.

Milwaukee included hard-throwing rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski and left-hander Robert Gasser while leaving off first baseman Rhys Hoskins.

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Former Devils Big Defenseman Hits Waivers

Ryan Graves (© Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images)

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they are placing former New Jersey Devils defenseman Ryan Graves on waivers. 

In addition to Graves, the Penguins announced that they are also placing Alexander Alexeyev, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Boko Imama, and Sam Poulin on waivers. 

Graves being placed on waivers comes after he had a tough 2024-25 season with the Penguins. In 61 games with Pittsburgh this past campaign, he had one goal, three assists, and a minus-15 rating. This was after he had three goals and 14 points in 70 games with the Penguins in 2023-24.

Graves spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with the Devils and was a key part of their blueline. In 153 games with the Devils over that span, the 6-foot-5 blueliner recorded 14 goals, 40 assists, 54 points, 173 hits, 287 blocks, and a plus-25 rating. This included him scoring six goals and recording a career-high 28 points in 75 games with New Jersey in 2021-22. 

Graves' time with the Devils ended during the 2023 NHL off-season when he signed a six-year, $27 million contract with the Penguins in free agency. Now, he has been placed on waivers ahead of his third season with Pittsburgh and will be looking to get things back on track in 2025-26. 

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Sixers' VJ Edgecombe showing off hops against Knicks in Abu Dhabi

We saw it at Baylor. We saw the stats out of the NBA Draft Combine. We saw it at Summer League.

Now, the fans in Abu Dhabi are seeing it as the NBA has taken the preseason to the United Arab Emirates, with the Knicks and 76ers facing off. That means No. 3 overall pick from last June, VJ Edgecombe, is there and putting on a show. Like this dunk.

Or this block.

Edgecombe is showing more to his game in the preseason than just pure athleticism, he has knocked down 3s and is showing off some passing skills as well.

It's going to be an interesting season in Philly and part of that is watching what Edgecombe can do.

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Bader brings energy, edge to Phillies' championship push

Bader brings energy, edge to Phillies' championship push originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

From the moment Harrison Bader slipped on a Phillies uniform, it just made sense.

The energy. The defense. The all-out style of play.

Since arriving from the Twins at the Trade Deadline, Bader has injected Philadelphia with exactly the kind of spark that wins in October.

A veteran of nine seasons on his sixth club, Bader joined a crowded outfield mix that already included Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler.

Before the swap, he was putting together a solid season in Minnesota, tallying 25 extra-base hits in 96 games with a .778 OPS. His bat was red hot in July — five homers, a .914 OPS and 11 RBIs in the month.

Three weeks after the trade, Castellanos told reporters that Bader had been frustrated with his playing time, understandable for a guy swinging the bat well before the trade. His first few weeks in Philly were rough, hitting just .171 in his first 41 at-bats.

Then came August 20th against Seattle, when Rob Thomson gave him the nod, and Bader took off. From that point on, he slashed .346/.390/.522 with 15 extra-base hits to close out the regular season.

His impact went far beyond the numbers. Bader, who primarily played left field with Minnesota, immediately stabilized center field for Philadelphia. His 85th-percentile sprint speed was on full display, flagging down balls gap-to-gap from Monty’s Angle to the bullpen — complete with his trademark crab-walk backpedal.

When Trea Turner landed on the injured list in late September, Thomson moved Bader into the leadoff spot, and the results spoke for themselves. Over 13 games atop the order before the final homestand, he hit .339, sparking an offense that notched nine wins, including a sweep of the Mets and a statement series victory in Los Angeles.

“Winning baseball is a universal language,” Bader said. “We all come from different places, but the goal’s the same. The only focus for me was taking advantage of the opportunity to help this team win.”

That mindset made him an easy fit in a clubhouse full of veterans who’ve lived the highs and lows of Red October.

“There are no cliques here,” Bader said. “It’s about doing your job and executing. You gain respect by playing winning baseball.”

It’s the same approach that made him a postseason hero in the Bronx. In 2022, Bader homered five times in nine playoff games for the Yankees — experience that fuels his confidence now in Philadelphia.

“You can’t play hero ball,” he said. “It’s about having a good at-bat, passing the baton, doing the little things that win a series.”

Bader has worked tirelessly to evolve as a hitter. After an injury in 2023, he spent last offseason reworking his mechanics with a biomechanist in Tampa.

“I didn’t want to go back to who I was — I wanted to be someone new,” he said. “The game’s about evolving.”

He certainly evolved. This mechanical change has allowed Bader to exhibit strong offensive production against right-handed pitchers.

Coming into 2025, Bader posted a career .775 OPS versus left-handers and a .670 against righties.

This season, Bader’s splits are reversed, which can be beneficial as you generally face more right-handed pitching. His OPS against righties is .845 (344 AB), while it’s .689 versus southpaws (157 AB).

Off the field, Bader’s personality has become just as impactful as his play. He actually inspired teammates to join his “crop top” pregame routine during the summer heat.

“I’d never tell another grown man to wear a crop top,” Bader laughed. “But it shows how together this group is.”

And then there’s his appreciation for the city itself.

“The fans here make this place special,” he said. “They share the same passion we do. I’m grateful to compete in front of that energy.”

In just two months, Bader has become everything the Phillies could have hoped for, and he’s a reminder of what makes this group so dangerous in October.

He’s been here a short time, but in every sense, Harrison Bader already feels like a perfect fit for Philadelphia.

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Ex-Canadiens Forward Placed On Waivers By New Team

Rafael Harvey-Pinard (© Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they are placing former Montreal Canadiens forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard on waivers. 

Harvey-Pinard is one of five players that the Penguins are placing on waivers, as they also announced that Alexander Alexeyev, Ryan Graves, Boko Imama, and Sam Poulin will be hitting the wire. 

If Harvey-Pinard clears waivers, the Penguins will officially assign him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

Harvey-Pinard signed a one-year deal with the Penguins in free agency this summer after he did not receive a qualifying offer from the Canadiens. This was after he posted five goals and 19 points in 40 games with the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, last season. He also played in one game for the Canadiens in 2024-25, where he was held off the scoresheet.

Harvey-Pinard was selected by the Canadiens with the 201st overall pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. In 84 games over four seasons with the Canadiens from 2021-22 to 2024-25, he recorded 17 goals, 14 assists, 31 points, 117 hits, and a plus-3 rating. His best season with the Canadiens was in 2022-23, as he set career highs with 14 goals and 20 points in 34 games. 

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Championship roundup: Coventry thrash Wednesday on bleak day for Sheffield

  • Sheffield Wednesday 0-5 Coventry, Hull 1-0 Sheffield Utd

  • Boro slip to Pompey defeat, Leicester see off Swansea

Frank Lampard praised his side’s stirring second-half display after Coventry went top of the Championship with a 5-0 rout of Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

Brandon Thomas-Asante scored twice in the first half with Haji Wright adding a third on the stroke of half-time. Substitute Ellis Simms and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto added further goals in the second period to complete a comprehensive victory.

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Were The Flames and Oilers Right To Extend Their Coaches; Only Time Will Tell

The NHL coaching industry is a tough one. Year after year, coaches are fired and hired with alarming regularity. So any time a coach can get a modicum of job security, you can’t fault them for lunging to get it.

In the past few days, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames re-committed to their coaches by signing them to multi-year contract extensions, but the expectations for Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch and Flames counterpart Ryan Huska are significantly different.

The first Alberta coach to get an extension this week was Huska, who agreed to a two-year contract extension on Thursday. The 50-year-old nearly steered Calgary into a Stanley Cup playoff spot last season, Huska’s second as Flames coach. Huska improved the Flames’ record by three wins in 2024-25, but he’s still very much part of a Calgary franchise that is trying to retool on the fly.

So the expectations for Huska are (a) to keep the Flames competitive, and (b) to integrate Calgary’s young players into the mix and set the table for a new generation of Flames players. He’s now under contract through the 2027-28 campaign, so Huska has a lot of landing strip to get the job done.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch got an extension of his own. The 47-year-old received a three-year extension, lasting through the 2028-29 season. Knoblauch has come agonizingly close to guiding the Oilers to a Cup, making it to the Cup final for the past two years.

His job is to win and win now, and he has less time to stick the landing than Huska does. The reality of the coaching profession is such that both Knoblauch and Huska know that failure to improve will almost assuredly cut short their time behind the bench.

Kris Knoblauch (Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images)

That’s the main takeaway here. The history of modern-day coaching at the NHL level is littered with examples of coaches who never fulfill the full term of their contract after being fired by their employer when they are unable to deliver great things. Having the financial security of a long-term extension is great for coaches, but that doesn’t reduce the pressure they face to produce.

There’s always a shiny new coaching toy available for NHL GMs to be intrigued by, and the longer you go without major success as a coach, the easier it is for teams to move on from you.

Time will tell whether the Flames and Oilers were right to extend Huska’s and Knoblauch’s contracts, but handing out an extension tells your players that their coach isn’t a lame-duck coach, and that’s an important message to send in both these examples.

What it doesn’t do, though, is guarantee any one coach they’ll be running things in their current city for the long haul. When you win a Cup, you can assure yourself of regular coaching work for years to come, but even then, some Cup-winning coaches eventually have to move on to a different team.

Coaching is a zero-sum profession that rewards positive results and punishes negative results. Edmonton and Calgary have seen enough positives from Knoblauch and Huska to provide the security every coach is looking for. They now have the assurance they’ll be well-compensated for a good long while, but the day-to-day pressures on them will continue as long as they’re working in that role.

That constant pressure is a built-in part of the job, and if you don’t acclimate well to it, you’re going to be out of work sooner than later. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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‘You either win or you don't': How will Phillies respond to bye?

‘You either win or you don't': How will Phillies respond to bye? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

So, push has now come to shove. Figuring out how to spend a bye week, like the Phillies just completed, was the biggest task presented them this week as the Los Angeles Dodgers were disposing of the Cincinnati Reds in a National League Wild Card Series.

The Phillies handled their week with work. After a day off on Monday, there was a fundamental-based practice on Tuesday, followed by an intrasquad scrimmage on Wednesday in front of 31,000 fans. A couple more days of staying sharp and now it’s here – Game One of the National League Division Series, with Dodgers righty Shohei Ohtani facing Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez.

The week off is as much mentally challenging as it is physically. Taking time off during a season just isn’t the norm, except for the All-Star Break. And if there’s anything baseball players and managers don’t like, it’s having their routine disrupted. Add in all the talk about whether it’s good or not to spend some days away from the diamond at this point of the year, and it probably becomes more of a dilemma than it really needs to be.

“It’s an advantage if you win the first series and it’s a disadvantage if you don’t,” said Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

In essence, the Phillies have already won a series with the bye, while the Dodgers made quick work of the Reds, finishing them off in two games and outscoring them by a combined 18-9. During that series, Dodgers starters Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto worked 13 2/3 innings and allowed just eight hits and two earned runs while striking out 18.

How the Phillies hitters fare in this series against the Dodgers starters is going to be a huge factor. In their three-game series in Los Angeles in the middle of September, the Phillies were no-hit during Ohtani’s five innings, got two hits, no runs and struck out 12 times in Snell’s seven innings and were able to garner only one hit and one run in Emmet Sheehan’s 5 2/3 innings.

Should the Phillies get shut down by the Los Angeles starters to begin this series, you just know the airwaves are going to be filled with talks about the disadvantages of the bye.

Said Trea Turner: “I say it till I’m blue in the face. It’s just an excuse one way or the other. You’ve got to show up and you’ve got to win. You either win or you don’t.”

And Nick Castellanos had some thoughts, saying: “Obviously (like having) the bye because we’re closer to the World Series. But I think if there was a way to play competitive baseball, not have the outcome knock us out, we get the bye no matter what, I think that’s personally what I wish could happen. I just know how important rhythm is and consistency is to a game like baseball because of how difficult it is.”

For manager Rob Thomson, the week couldn’t have gone any better. Now it’s time to see if that pays off or not.

“I’m telling you, the intrasquad game just put it over the top, with all these people here,” he said. “It really did. Case in point, it was, I forget what inning it was, and there was a runner on first and Nick (Castellanos) hit a ground ball. Double play and he ran hard all the way through the base. Whereas, if there’s nobody in the stands, probably doesn’t happen. Those are the little things that I look at and say that was worth it.”

Time will now tell.

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Carolina Hurricanes @ Nashville Predators Preseason Game 6: Lineups, Game Preview and How to Watch

What - Game 6 (1-3-1)
When - 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4
Where - Bridgestone Arena; Nashville, TN
How to Watch - hurricanes.com (only viewable in the local TV viewing area)    

The Carolina Hurricanes will be icing nearly their entire main NHL roster tonight in Nashville in their final preseason game of the year.

The Canes have trimmed their roster down to 25 players and the only players who will be sitting out tonight are either guys who have been dealing with injuries (Jaccob Slavin, K'Andre Miller, Jesperi Kotkaniemi) and guys who have a penchant for getting inured (Frederik Andersen).

This game will also be a good measuring stick for Logan Stankoven who will be playing against NHL level competition for the first time since sliding back to center.

Streaks

  • N/A

Milestone Watch

  • N/A

Game Notes

  • Jalen Chatfield and Pyotr Kochetkov are projected to make their preseason debut's tonight.
  • Jaccob Slavin and K'Andre Miller, who both entered camp with injuries, will not play a preseason game before kicking off their 2025-26 seasons.

Key Matchups

Projected Starting Goalies

  • Pyotr Kochetkov - Preseason Debut

Power Play

  • Carolina - 8.7% (2/23)

Penalty Kill

  • Carolina - 80.95% (17/21)

Hurricanes Projected Lineup

Nikolaj Ehlers - Sebastian Aho - Seth Jarvis
Andrei Svechnikov - Logan Stankoven - Jackson Blake
Jordan Martinook - Jordan Staal - William Carrier
Taylor Hall - Mark Jankowski - Eric Robinson

Alexander Nikishin - Jalen Chatfield
Shayne Gostisbehere - Sean Walker
Mike Reilly - Charles Alexis Legault

Pyotr Kochetkov
Cayden Primeau

Predators Projected Lineup

*Not yet posted*

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Clayton Kershaw added to Dodgers' NLDS roster as expected, Will Smith remains active

When Clayton Kershaw was left off the Dodgers’ roster for the best-of-three wild-card round against the Cincinnati Reds, it marked the first time since his 2008 rookie season that he didn’t pitch in one of the team’s playoff series when healthy.

But on Saturday, ahead of Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers decided to add Kershaw back in the mix, ensuring he will likely get the chance to take the mound at least one more time before entering retirement this offseason.

Kershaw and fellow left-handed pitcher Anthony Banda were the only two changes the Dodgers made to their NLDS roster Saturday, swapping them in on an 11-man pitching staff in place of multi-inning left-hander Justin Wrobleski (who didn’t pitch in the wild-card series) and rookie right-hander Edgardo Henriquez (who walked two batters and gave up a hit while recording no outs in Game 1 against the Reds).

Read more:Shohei Ohtani to start Game 1 of NLDS for Dodgers — this time, without set restrictions

The Dodgers made no changes to their 15-man position player group from the wild-card round, once again keeping three catchers on the roster (as Will Smith continues to recover from a fractured hand) as well as speedy defensive specialists Justin Deal and Hyeseong Kim.

Kershaw’s return had been expected, even before manager Dave Roberts officially confirmed on Friday that the future Hall of Famer would be on the roster for the NLDS.

First and foremost, the Dodgers will need added left-handed pitching depth to combat a Phillies lineup that includes left-handed threats such as Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott. That’s why Banda was included as well.

But Kershaw, who went 11-2 this season with a 3.36 ERA, also gives the Dodgers a steady veteran presence out of the bullpen (where he is expected to pitch).

They missed that in the wild-card round, when a string of younger pitchers struggled to consistently find the strike zone while pitching in relief.

Thus, they will be hoping their 18-year veteran can provide it, in what would be his final career postseason series if the Dodgers don’t advance.

The only other major roster question facing the Dodgers entering this series is at catcher. Roberts said Friday that Smith “will be available to catch” in this NLDS, but was unsure if he’d be able to start right away in Game 1. Smith, who has taken only live at-bats in the last week while nursing his injury, did not appear in the wild-card series despite being on the roster. He took more live at-bats during the team’s Friday night workout at Citizens Bank Park.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Flyers win preseason finale as season-opening roster comes into focus

Flyers win preseason finale as season-opening roster comes into focus originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers won their preseason finale Saturday afternoon with a 4-3 shootout decision over the Devils at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny provided the Flyers’ tallies in the skills competition.

Travis Sanheim scored the Flyers’ first goal of the game and finished with three in the preseason. Konecny provided the second and third goals, also finishing with three in exhibition play.

Jamie Drysdale collected two assists and Sanheim had one, as well.

New Jersey didn’t dress its top nine scorers from last season.

The Flyers went 3-4-0 through the preseason slate. The real thing begins in five days.

“We’ve been working through video, through practice clips, through a lot of coaching on the ice,” Drysdale said of the team picking up its new system. “There has been a lot of effort toward that and we’re getting it.”

The club’s roster is at the maximum of 23 healthy players. It needs to be submitted by Monday at 5 p.m. ET.

“The one thing I love about this group, they want to be coached, which is a good thing,” Rick Tocchet said. “We’ve got to get everybody buying in and wanting to be coached, and that’s what I see right now. Listen, we’ve got a lot of work, we’ve got to clean up a lot of things, we knew that going into training camp. But the one thing is they want it, which is great. That’s a positive for the coaching staff.”

• The Flyers got one final look at Jett Luchanko and Rodrigo Abols, two forwards who were possibly battling for a final roster spot. But it looks like the Flyers could go the route of keeping 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies to open the regular season.

Dennis Gilbert was placed on waivers Saturday, according to PuckPedia.com. If he clears, the defenseman is expected to eventually head to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

The Flyers liked Luchanko’s performance in his previous preseason game Monday against the Bruins.

“We’re looking for the same kind of game,” Tocchet said Saturday morning. “Use his speed, start to shoot the puck more, good decisions with the puck offensively, I think that’s his next level.”

Luchanko shook off a somewhat slow start in the opening stanza Saturday to pick up his first point of exhibition play when he assisted Sanheim’s goal. The 19-year-old centered the fourth line and was noticeable.

“Early on, I thought he was a little bit nervous,” Tocchet said. “I mean, he hadn’t played in four, five days. And then I thought his game started to come.”

Abols played in six preseason games and was arguably the biggest standout of camp.

“He’s a guy that’s in the mix,” Tocchet said Saturday morning. “If he can be a consistent player, big guy that can win loose pucks, he can play the wing and the center, which is a nice thing for a coach to have. So we’ll see how that works out.”

The 29-year-old made his NHL debut last season and played 22 games for the Flyers after spending the previous four seasons in the SHL, Sweden’s top pro league.

“It’s way different,” Abols said of the NHL grind. “There are 30 more games, way more travel. I remember last year, it was a funny story, we had that long, like, 11-day road trip … me and [Samuel Ersson] went to dinner in Chicago, I came back to the hotel and I had no idea what room I was in.”

• Dan Vladar converted 22 saves on 25 shots.

The Devils’ second goal was a backdoor one on the power play. Paul Cotter scored New Jersey’s third goal when Vladar misplayed the puck just outside his crease.

The free-agent addition stopped 43 of 49 shots through seven periods of exhibition play.

“It has been awesome, I’ve been saying that since Day 1, everybody welcomed me with open arms, so I really appreciate that,” Vladar said. “On the ice, I’m feeling well.”

The Flyers put 36 shots on Devils netminder Jake Allen.

• Noah Juulsen came into the lineup for Egor Zamula and played alongside Adam Ginning on the third defensive pair.

Juulsen and Zamula could be competing for the final lineup spot on the back end.

After Thursday’s dress rehearsal, Tocchet was asked if there was any concern with Zamula, who at times looked shaky in the preseason.

“He has got to pick it up, definitely,” the head coach said.

• The Flyers open the regular season next week when they visit the two-time defending champion Panthers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette left off ALDS roster vs. Yankees due to knee injury

The Yankees won't see some familiar faces when they take on the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 American League Division Series.

Toronto announced its roster for the playoff series on Saturday morning, ahead of Game 1 at 4:00 p.m., and star shortstop Bo Bichette is not on it.

Bichette, 27, has been out since Sept. 6 with a knee injury. 

The SS finished the 2025 regular season tied for second in hits with 181 (along with Padres' Luis Arraez), just three less than the Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. over 18 less games (139 played by Bichette). He also finished second in the AL in batting average at .311 behind Aaron Judge's .331 mark.

Bichette hit .281 with nine hits, including a home run, six RBI, and five runs scored over nine games against the Yanks in the regular season.

He would be eligible to be added to the ALCS roster if the Blue Jays were to advance.

Additionally, Toronto left veteran pitchers Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt off the ALDS roster, as well as 1B Ty France. The club decided to go with Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage as their starting pitchers, plus Eric Lauer, who started 15 games in the regular season and pitched in another 13 out of the bullpen.

Scherzer went 5-5 over 17 regular seasons start, pitching to a 5.19 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He gave up four runs on 10 hits across 5.0 IP in his last start on Sept. 24 against the Red Sox.

Bassitt owned a 11-9 record with a 3.96 ERA over 32 games (31 starts). Like Scherzer, he also struggled down the stretch, allowing three runs on eight hits over 4.1 IP against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 18.

As for the Yankees, no major changes were made to their ALDS roster compared to the Wild Card series. Luis Gil, who's starting Game 1, was added to replace Mark Leiter Jr.

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Blackhawks Vs Blues: Roster, How To Watch, & More Ahead Of Preseason Game 6

The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the Minnesota Wild on Friday Night. The road team brought a lot of their star players with them for that game, but the Blackhawks basically had an unofficial dress rehearsal. 

The Blackhawks blew a 2-0 lead in that game just to drop it 3-2. A bad second period with three Minnesota power-play goals allowed was the downfall for Chicago. Now, those players just have to be ready for Tuesday night in Sunrise against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. 

The Blackhawks still have one more preseason game against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. This will be Chicago dressing an AHL lineup for the final game. Some of the guys that play will be looking for an opening night roster spot, but this group will mostly begin the year with the Rockford IceHogs. 

Roster: 

ImageChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xlast preseason game before the regular season🤝 🗞️ https://t.co/MvjVtexMr6

Guys like Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene, and Lukas Reichel would all like to make the team. They also all had a legit chance at the start of camp but there are only so many spots. Over time, they can earn a spot with their play if they aren’t on the team by Tuesday.

That also goes for Nolan Allan, Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro, and Louis Crevier. There are always injuries or inconsistencies during a long season, especially with a lot of young players, so everyone will get their chance. 

For the rest of the lineup, this is their chance to play in a home NHL sweater in front of a pro-Blackhawks crowd for the last time before they move back to Rockford for what is likely the rest of the season. Some of them may get that call-up at some point, but everything has to be earned. This is a great audition opportunity for a lot of these AHL guys. 

How To Watch

Those looking for the game in the Chicago area can find it on CHSN. Out-of-market viewings can be found on ESPN+. The puck will drop at the United Center at 7:00 PM CT.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Verstappen points finger at Norris after Russell grabs brilliant pole in Singapore

  • Rejuvenated Mercedes driver takes top spot by 0.182sec

  • Norris accused of impeding Dutchman’s flying lap

George Russell is in talks to extend his contract with Mercedes, but could surely do no more to make his case than a magnificent lap on Saturday to claim pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen was beaten into second, but the world champion was aggrieved that he had been denied by Lando Norris, complaining of being obstructed by the McLaren driver.

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